sine qua non

[sahy-nee kwey non, kwah, sin-ey, si-ne kwah-nohn] / ˈsaɪ ni kweɪ ˈnɒn, kwɑ, ˈsɪn eɪ, ˈsɪ nɛ kwɑˈnoʊn /

NOUN

condition

Synonyms

WEAK

arrangement article catch codicil contingency demand essential exception exemption fine print kicker modification must must-have necessity need postulate precondition prerequisite provision proviso qualification requirement requisite reservation rule small print stipulation strings terms

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In fact, the history of whaling on its own disproves the central point of “The Killing Age,” that guns were a sine qua non for the making of the modern world.

From The Wall Street Journal

“But now speed and maneuverability are the sine qua non.”

From The Wall Street Journal

What I did in the meantime — because I knew that I had to be there and eat the food, and know the people, and that was sine qua non.

From Los Angeles Times

But a first hostage deal “is the sine qua non of the administration’s larger regional deal,” said Martin S. Indyk, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel.

From New York Times

For those actors who consider crying to be the sine qua non of their art, a sorrowful biography offers a distinct advantage in the Method acting sweepstakes.

From Los Angeles Times

sine qua non

Example Sentences

Related Words